Weekend adventure

As we needed to bring Adam for adventures, we went to the World Musuem and was swarmed by kids. There were children EVERYWHERE!! This is what half term's about, I suppose.

So, we decided to try out the Walker Art Gallery nearby. We never could really appreciate art, but was hoping that it will be quieter. We actually had a good time and were pleasantly surprised by the activities available for kids (we were quite bored by the actual art gallery and was only in the kids section). They really do try to instill creativity and the artistic side of a child from a young age. There was a large play area with costumes for dress-up, colouring/drawing/painting, art and craft, blocks, books etc.. There was even somebody present to guide the art and craft section. It does seem like a nursery, but it's all free!! I suppose this is the best bit of UK, where there are lots of activities for kids that are freely available.

The house you built for me and dada

Thank God Adam's going back to the nursery tomorrow

Paper toss - Isaac's version

Nursery homework

You came back with Adam the bear and a 'journal' from nursery one day. We apparently need to bring it on adventures over the next few days and 'log' it down, including photos.
My thoughts: 'As if I do not have enough to do'???

As all the other kids' parents have complied, I have to do the same. Unfortunately, you do not seem to like 'Adam' very much and have no intention to carry him around or out at all. I tried my best and made you take a few photos but some conversations went:

Me: Isaac, let's bring Adam out
Isaac: No need, leave him in 'leeeving room' (in his scouse accent)

Me: Isaac, let's bring Adam upstairs
Isaac: No!!!! I dowan bring Adam

Poor Adam the bear. I wonder what stories I need to come up with to fill the journal? Saying that, it is a good idea of the nursery to see what their kids are up to at home.

Developments

We do try to teach you Mandarin or Cantonese but have not been very successful. You can however sing a few chinese songs including 'Ke Ren Lai', 'Yi Er San Shi', 'Siao Lao Su' and 'San Lun Che', thanks to your Gong Gong and Mah-Mah. Hopefully you will learn the language through songs?? You can also count from 1-10 in Mandarin.

You recognise all the alphabets, and popo also taught you to spell your name when they were here. You also love to count objects and can count from 1-20. Your finger control is still not very good but can sign 1-5. You've been confident with your colours and shapes. You do enjoy colouring and drawing, although I've never dared let you paint at home. That's what nursery is for right?

Your favourite toys are still your cars, trains and buses. They're all over the house and some follow us wherever we go. Some cars are really quite worn out looking from all the 'travelling' and 'crashing around'. You also love jigsaws and so far complete up to 24 pieces ones. Should I also record that you can play 'angry bird', 'cut the rope' and 'paper toss' on the iphone? ;) They are good babysitters...

A selection of your cars/trains

Going to the toilet has become more interesting as you want to stand on the stool and aim into the toilet bowl. It's amazing how far your wee can go with a slip of the fingers :)

You remain as talkative and now reports from nursery. I had to sign another incident form one day as someone scratched you on the face. Of course your carers said that they could not tell me who did it. But, there's no need to anymore :) On the journey home...
Me: Isaac, who scratched you?
Isaac: 'H' scratched me today
You'll also tell Richard or me who was not at nursery, who you played with, and what you played in nursery that day.

Healthy lifestyle

Since coming back from Malaysia, you have been telling me that you want to go swimming. At bath time, you will attempt 'swimming' in your little bath tub. So, 3 weekends ago, we signed up for a year's membership at David Lloyd's leisure club. Your daddy has great plans to go for a 'work-out' session after dinner. So far, it has yet to be realised :) We have however been swimming quite a few times. There are also plans to take up tennis more seriously (as nobody plays badminton at this club).

The kiasu us calculated that we have to go at least 5x a month to make it worth while. So, it may have to be twice a weekend sometimes. We went one evening after dinner but was chased out by a staff who frantically said 'No kids after 8 coz there's no lifeguards around'. We were only using the children's pool!! I do go for a swim with you on my days off after weekends or nights and really have a great time.

Is it all worth it?

We arrived back in Manchester to a temperature of 1 degrees, and when we arrived home, it was freezing!! As usual, we felt a little down having to settle into the 'routines' of life again. Although you seem to adjust well on the outside, you were perhaps more insecured inside. It did not help that gong-gong and popo were with us for 6 weeks before we went for our holidays, and I worked the first weekend we were back. In the first 2 weeks, you cried out about 2-3x a night for me or dada to come sleep with you and hug you. It is now nearly 3 weeks and you're still not sleeping through, and I'm super exhausted.

After 3 days of being back in nursery, you came home with a runny nose, and then this week, succumbed to a really bad cough and high fever. It was really stressful getting calls from nursery, and thank God dada could stay at home with you.

We're supposed to be getting the 'Siberian blizzard' and it has been subzero this whole week. Why does it have to be this cold? It is supposed to be -10 tomorrow.

There's also the stress of work, and having to rush back to be a mother and wife, and put aside the 'career woman', returning to that after you're asleep to catch up on the day's work. I'm sure all working mothers go through this and feel pushed to the edge occasionally.

Is trying to constantly juggle and attempting to be the best in all these roles with minimal help at hand, in bitterly artic weather, all worth it?

Thank God there's One above who listens to all my cries and keeps me going :) And...

There's this little one's laughter

Chinese New Year 2012

It was a quiet affair as I was working the weekend. We did 'celebrate' by going to our favourite chinese restaurant for dinner, just the 3 of us on the first day of new year.

CNY 'costume' from Yeh-yeh and Mah-mah